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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-10 Daily Xml
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PUBLIC SECTOR WAGES

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:50): My question is again to the Treasurer. Was there a cost blow-out of over $60 million for wage settlements above budget allowances in the 2007-08 financial year? The 2008-09 budget shows that the Treasurer's contingency provisions for employee entitlements in 2007-08 is estimated to be $76 million, against a budget of $15.8 million.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:50): Can you say that again?

Mr Griffiths: Well, it's obvious. If you can't understand it, I'm not repeating it.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Oh! All right, okay, I'll get it. You're saying that I had a contingency for $15 million for wages or employee entitlements. I will find out exactly what that was. How is this coming from that lot? Every time a trade union goes out there saying that they want a wage rise from government, what does this mob of commos over here do? Give them what they want. Socialism! You embrace socialism. What the collective want, you give. That is not this government. We have taken a very strong position on public sector wages. But you cannot have any morality in the argument, any morality or credibility, if you are coming in here saying that we spent more on employee entitlements than we should have, because if you were up to it you would have caved in on the teachers.

The member for Unley is up there saying, 'Give the teachers what they want.' What does that give us? Where is Paul Caica? A couple of billion to the bottom line. 'Pay the teachers what they're asking for,' says Pisoni from Unley. 'Give them what they want.' When it came to doctors, the member for Bragg—what's her answer? 'Give the doctors what they want.' It is just lunacy. The wages policy of the Liberal Party harks back to the days of collective agreements of socialism where the government of the day simply said to the trade unions, 'Comrade, what do you want me to pay? You can have it.'

Not this modern Labor Party. Not this modern government. We have realised the error of our policies in the past. We have reformed our policies and we will pay a fair wage and a fair outcome. It took this government to stand up to trade union bullies in the public sector, trade unions that wanted to get big wage rises out of us. We have stood up to them and at some political pain but that is what good government is all about. We fixed WorkCover with a lot of political pain but that is what good government is all about.

For you to come in here and have a whack at me because we may have—and I will get it checked—spent more on wages than we budgeted is hypocrisy and an illegitimate line for a finance minister to run. You would be an appalling manager of finances if the quality of your questions today is indicative of your—

Mr WILLIAMS: I rise on a point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order! The Deputy Premier will take his seat.

Mr WILLIAMS: I am just wondering, Mr Speaker, if the Treasurer is actually going to answer the question.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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